1. business and industrial

International Journal of Business and Management; Vol. 10, No. 4; 2015
ISSN 1833-3850
E-ISSN 1833-8119
Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education
A Framework of IS/Business Alignment Management Practices to
Improve the Design of IT Governance Architectures
Jorge Orozco1, Ali Tarhini1, Ra’ed (Moh’d Taisir) Masa’deh2 & Takwa Tarhini3
1
Department of Computer Science, Brunel University, London, United Kingdom
2
Department of Management Information Systems, The University of Jordan, Jordan
3
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, Qatar
Correspondence: Ali Tarhini, Department of Computer Science, Brunel University, London, United Kingdom.
E-mail: ali.tarhini@brunel.ac.uk
Received: January 16, 2015
Accepted: February 11, 2015
Online Published: March 27, 2015
doi:10.5539/ijbm.v10n4p1
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v10n4p1
Abstract
This research aims to identify specific management practices that can help to improve the process of IS/business
alignment and the design of ITG architecture that supports those processes. To this end the authors propose a
framework that is used as a reference to classify relevant management practices in the process of IS/business
alignment and design of ITG architectures. The analysis was carried out in a large leading international food and
beverage company. Findings show that at operational and tactical levels, improving the coordination of the IT
investment management process and enabling structures that strengthen the connection of budgetary controls are
core structural capabilities that can positively improve the process of IS/business alignment and impact
significantly the design of ITG architectures.
Keywords: IT/IS management, IS planning, IS/business alignment, strategic alignment, alignment assessment
1. Introduction
IS/Business alignment is seen as a necessary management practice that can enable information systems (IS) to
adapt to the changing business environment (Tarhini et al., 2015a,b；Abbasi et al., 2015). Over more than two
decades, practitioners and academics have continuously demonstrated interest on IS/business alignment and
ranked it as a top management need. However, solutions to achieve IS/business alignment are still vague due to
its complexity and holistic understanding. Despite this fact, several business benefits appear as the main
justification to support its implementation. Empirical studies demonstrate that the alignment in organizations
help to enhance organizational performance (Teo & King, 1996; Chan, Sabherwal, & Thatcher, 2006; Masa’deh
& Kuk, 2009; Yayla & Hu, 2012; Walter et al., 2013; Wagner, 2014) and enables IT/business value (Melville,
Kraemer, & Gurbaxani, 2004; Shannak et al., 2010; Chiang & Nunez, 2013; Siurdyban, 2014). Considering these
organizational benefits, there is imminent and recurrent question that practitioners aim to answer: what do
organizations need to positively advance the process of IS/business alignment? Despite several efforts to answer
this question, there is still perennial work to contribute into the IS/business alignment research agenda. Literature
in IS/business alignment is diverse, well-supported and ongoing research still is looking to establish its relevance
in the context of IS use. Different approaches, dimensions and paradigms have characterized its progress (Chan
& Reich, 2007; Gutierrez et al., 2009; Masa’deh et al., 2014). In the way to better understand IS/business
alignment, literature has provided rich but theoretical research that lacks of pragmatic approaches. Particularly,
few attempts advance pragmatically on the process of assessing, maintaining or sustaining IS/business alignment
(Avison et al., 2004; Chan & Reich, 2007; Masa’deh & Shannak, 2012) and even fewer studies specify punctual
management capabilities towards the consolidation of an IS/business alignment process (Luftman, 2004).
IT Governance (ITG) is a more recent area of research with approximately a decade of age. Despite ITG has
been defined in different ways; most definitions stress how management needs to make decisions rather than
what decisions to be made. It could be argued that ITG has an older history as it has been considered within
corporate governance research; however the current IT-driving era supports the ITG’s own personality. ITG, as
area of research, has evolved over the past years from an IT-oriented into a more business-oriented practice. The
implementations of ITG have gained relevance either to promote efficient organizational IT performance
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(Simonsson, Johnson, & Ekstedt, 2010; Wraikat, 2012; Curry et al., 2014, Alenezi et al., 2015; Tarhini et al.,
2015c) or accomplish legal regulations (ISO/IEO, 2014). Researches have agreed that ITG is a control-based
system that includes internal and external management practices that enable and impact IS/business alignment
(Peterson, 2004). According to Peterson (2004) and Weill and Ross (2004), ITG mechanisms or capabilities
should be divided into three sets [process, relations, structures] in order to understand their scope and effect. The
setting up of such mechanisms or capabilities constitutes a baseline to support making-decision processes and
make valid organizational rules and procedures. Only then, the resulted ITG architecture can enable the
IS/business alignment process and enhance organizational IT/business value.
Researchers and practitioners have identified tight relationships between ITG, IS/business alignment and
business value (De Haes & Van Grembergen, 2009; Buchwald, Urbach, & Ahlemann, 2014). However there are
few studies that link those studies to identify their relationships. This research aims to identify those
management practices that can positively moderate and improve the process of IS/business alignment and the
design of ITG. In order to identify these management practices, the management capabilities from the strategic
alignment maturity (SAM) model proposed by Luftman (2000) were mapped against the structure of the ITG
assessment process (ITGAP) model defined by Peterson (2004). The resulted mapping framework was used as a
reference to classify management practices and analyze relevant management practices in the process of
IS/business alignment and design of ITG architectures. The analysis was carried out colleting management
practices from a leading and large food and beverage company. Findings show that at operational and tactical
levels, improving the coordination of the IT investment management process and enabling structures that
strengthen the connection of budgetary controls are core structural capabilities that can positively improve and
moderate the process of IS/business alignment and impact significantly the design of ITG. By promoting
program management practices towards a unified understanding of IT and business knowledge, the collaboration
between strategic and operational levels would be positively influenced.
This paper is divided in five sections. The following section outlines the research in IS/business alignment and
its links with ITG. In section three, both SAMM and ITGAP are discussed and the proposed framework is
introduced. Section four includes the case study analysis. In the last section, the results and conclusions are
presented.
2. IT Governance and IS/Business Alignment Antecedents
IS/business alignment has been researched as a phenomenon that focuses on the complexity of organizational
relationships given by the integration of IT and business strategies (Broadbent & Weill, 1993; Henderson &
Venkatraman, 1993; Ciborra, 1997, Smaczny, 2001), plans (Kearns & Lederer, 2000; Reich & Benbasat, 2000;
Cragg, King, & Hussin, 2002; Balocco, Ciappini, & Rangone, 2013), or structures (Weill, & Ross, 2004). In
more than two decades, these different approaches have revealed several loci research in IS/business alignment
(Chan & Reich, 2007; Coltman, Sharma, & Tallon, 2013; Tarhini et al., 2015d) and also contributed marginally
subscribing its broad and complex understanding. A specific challenge that IS/business alignment research
agenda faces is its holistic scope. To conceptualize IS/business alignment, several dimensions have been
indicated to portray its understanding. Four dimensions have been commonly referenced and cited: strategic or
intellectual (Kearns & Lederer, 2000), operational (Papp & Luftman, 1995; Chan, 2002), informal structural
(Chan, 2001; Chan, Sabherwal, & Thatcher, 2006) and cultural (Pyburn, 1983). These dimensions have been
traditionally isolated approaches to understand and approach IS/business alignment research. However, a new
organic and co-evolutional view suggests integrating these IS/business alignment dimensions in order to
consolidate new IS/business alignment theory foundations. Benbya and McKelvey (2006) propose that
IS/business alignment is the result of a series of adjustments at three levels of analysis: individual, operational
and strategic. Most important in this view, they justify causal dynamics rather than cause-effect logic of
managerial actions to impact all organizational levels and their performance. Empirically, the business
characteristics of ITG have been a justification to consider their implementations as an alternative to develop
such managerial actions along organizations. For instance, the adoption of frameworks such as COBIT, ITIL or
ISO/IEC 38500-2008 exemplifies the relevance of different mechanisms to enhance an organizational platform
to achieve tight IS/business alignment and higher IS/business value.
2.1 Linking IS/Business Alignment and IT Governance
Literature has shown that similar outcomes can result of either achieving IS/business alignment or implementing
ITG practices. Empirical studies evidence that higher organizational performance can be the result of tight
IS/business alignment (Kearns & Lederer, 2003; Masa’deh & Kuk, 2009) but also consequence of effective
implementations of ITG practices (Weill & Ross, 2004; Tallon et al., 2013). Both IS/business alignment and ITG
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areas have been researched independently and few studies indicate mechanisms that link their consequences or
antecedents (Chaudhuri, 2011; Buchwald et al., 2014; Thompson et al., 2014). For instance, literature disagrees
to show how both areas are related. The IT Governance Institute (ITGI) considers IS/business alignment as one
out of five areas of concern within ITG [strategic alignment, value delivery, risk management, resource
management and performance management]. Conversely, SAM includes ITG as one out of six IS/business
alignment maturity factors [communication, value measurement, IT governance, partnership, scope &
architecture and skills] to assess IS/business alignment maturity. Researchers have called for studies that look for
those relationships between IT/business value, IS/business alignment and ITG but have anticipated that ITG is an
antecedent and enabler for achieving IS/business (De Haes & Van Grembergen, 2010; Schlosser et al., 2010;
Wagner, Beimborn, & Weitzel, 2014). The implementation of ITG practices builds up a baseline that should
include processes, structures and relational capabilities. These managerial abilities enable people to execute their
responsibilities in support of IS/business alignment and the creation of IT/business value (Peterson, 2004). To
achieve higher organizational performance, those capabilities need to be identified and then amalgamate an
enterprise management system that facilitates controls along different information systems (Peterson, 2004;
Beimborn, Schlosser, & Weitzel, 2009; Tiwana, 2012; Wagner & Weitzel, 2012; Zolper, Beimborn, & Weitzel,
2014).
The authors of this paper coincide with the notion that the relationship between IS/business alignment and ITG is
important but additional research will clarify their relationships. The relationships between IS/business
alignment and ITG and the identification of their common management practices would help to focus efforts on
specific managerial actions and impact organizational performance significantly. In the literature, the
identification of these practices has been rarely discussed.
3. Assessment Framework Overview
3.1 The Role of Management Practices in IS/Business Alignment and ITG
Managing IT also means meeting business objectives while targeting strategic, tactical and operational levels and
handling a complex number of organizational assets and factors (Gutierrez et al., 2008; Gutierrez, Orozco, &
Serrano, 2009). Benbya and McKelvey (2006) have considered theoretically the co-evolutionary dynamics of
these organizational levels as a function of IS/business alignment. They propose an emergent nature that
underpins IS/business alignment “as a continuous coevolutionary process that reconciles top-down ‘rational
design’ and bottom-up ‘emergent process’ of consciously and coherently interrelating all components of the
IS/business alignment at three levels of analysis [strategic, operational and individual]”. This contemporary
view innovates the integration of different alignment dimensions to consolidate a new IS/business alignment
theory. For instance, the operational level of analysis includes social and structural or operational components.
The dynamics at this level offers insights into how ITG mechanisms influence business process performance
(Beimborn, Schlosser, & Weitzel, 2009). In addition, decision-making processes and relationships of
stakeholders also contribute in such dynamics. However, operational performance also depends on structures and
capabilities to establish making-decision mechanisms (Hirschheim & Sabherwal, 2001). To this end, decisions to
develop what capabilities to implement and how they should be arranged are the result of strategic management
decisions to realize IS/business value (Weill & Ross, 2004).
ITG has been conceptualized as “the distribution of IT decision-making rights and responsibilities among
different stakeholders in the enterprise, and defines the procedures and mechanisms of making and monitoring
strategic IT decisions” (Peterson, O’Callaghan, & Ribbers, 2000). In this notion, managerial abilities play an
important organizational role to coordinate activities related to IT plans, organization and controls. Peterson
(2004) groups them in three sets according to their key mechanisms and also calls them capabilities. Each set
embraces lateral structures, processes and relational capabilities. Process capability refers to the coordination of
strategic IT monitoring and IT decision-making process. Relational capability comprises the collaboration of
active business and IT partnership and shared learning. Structural capability involves the connection of formal
mechanisms such as positions, roles and organizational structures to build liaisons between IT and business (see
Table 1).
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Table 1. Suummary of IT governance caapabilities (adaapted from Petterson et al., 20000)
Strategies
Tactics
Relationall
Structures
Processes
-Positions and
a roles
-Strategic IT deccision-making
-Business aand IT partnershipps
-Organizatioonal structures
-IT Monitoring
-Business aand IT shared learrning
(Structurees and processes)
Mechanismss
3.2 Mappiing SAMM’s Management
M
Prractices into IT
TGAP Model
Two modeels were used in
i order to devvelop the propoosed frameworrk, the ITG asssessment proceess (ITGAP) model
m
proposed bby Peterson (22004) and the strategic matuurity model (SA
AM) model prroposed by Luuftman (2000). The
ITG assessment processs (ITGAP) moodel aims to eevaluate ITG effectiveness iin terms of IT
TG capability, ITG
complexityy and IT valuee. The structuree of this modell presents two axes, horizonttal and verticall. Horizontally
y, this
model inccludes an arraangement of thhree ITG capabilities to evvaluate the inttegration of IT
T decision-ma
aking
processes. The assessmeent of ITG cappabilities helpss organizations to identify w
what capabilities are in place
e and
guide how
w to enable meechanisms to cconsolidate an effective ITG architecture. P
Particularly, thhis research is only
focused onn the horizontaal axe of this m
model and the sstructure of ITG capabilities..
Figure 1. Cateegorization of IS/business alignment manaagement practicces in ITG cappabilities
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The SAMM model was selected to provide IS/business alignment management practices for this study. The
rationale to select this model was based on two main arguments. Firstly, existing IS/business alignment
assessments are either theoretical conceptualizations or particular studies that cannot be applied generically in
several organizations (Gutierrez, Orozco, Papazafeiropoulou, & Serrano, 2008). Hence, SAMM, on the contrary,
is a practical method for analyzing organizational maturity of IS/business alignment by means of ranking
management practices within five levels of maturity [initial, committed process, established focused, improved
and optimized process]. Each of these levels is subdivided into six factors [communication, value, governance,
partnership, scope & architecture, and skills] and each factor is also subdivided in a set of management practices,
also called attributes. SAMM has recently been tested and validated (Sledgianowski & Luftman, 2005). Their
findings show that the SAMM can be used as reliable diagnostic tool to improve the maturity levels of
IS/business alignment. Gutierrez et al. (2009) also validates SAMM’s reliability. The authors analyze the
significance of its factors against organization size and indicate that the six factors are significant for either large,
medium or small organizations. Secondly, the SAAM has been enriched from previous research and is still
generating research interests. The SAMM is originally based on the strategic alignment model (SAM) but, in
comparison to the latter, it covers additional factors, for instance organizational value creation.
The management practices proposed by SAMM were taken as sources of ITGAP mechanisms. In total 26
management practices were identified and categorized according the capabilities’ structure in ITGAP. The
selected management practices were categorized in three key mechanisms, process, relational and structure. To
do this categorization, descriptions of each attribute (management practices) in SAMM as well as definitions of
components in ITGAP were taken as the main reference. This categorization was used as a reference for the case
study analysis presented in the following section (see Figure 1).
Since the ITG mechanisms can be elements of analysis in different IS/business alignment dimensions, it was
decided to map ITG capabilities against different IS/business alignment dimensions. In practice, the
implementation of ITG mechanisms might impact one or more organizational levels but also they might have
been subject of analysis at different IS/business alignment dimensions. In this mapping, it was considered three
sets of ITG capabilities [structure, process and relational] and four IS/business alignment dimensions [social,
operational, informal structural and intellectual]. This mapping aimed to analyze the impact of different ITG
capabilities at different IS/business alignment dimensions. The scope of each IS/business alignment dimension
depicted in our mapping was based on definitions provided by Chan and Reich (2007) and Gutierrez et al. (2008).
This mapping is also addressed the relationships between the three integration key mechanisms in order to
indicate their management actions [coordination, collaboration and connection] and how they enable ITG
integration. The final mapping is shown in figure 2.
4. Qualitative Analysis: A Case Study
A case study approach was selected as a method of study as this research is focused on the context of managerial
actions and their making decisions processes. One case study was conducted as a pilot to identify relevant
IS/business alignment management practices that can moderate the design of ITG architectures. The framework
proposed in Figure 2 was applied on one the snack food business unit (BU) of a large leading international food
and beverage company, hereafter called CompX in 2010. Some positions at top management provide share
services to other business units also within the snack food sector. Traditionally, business units have been
independent and autonomous, as management identifies noticeable differences in their business rationale.
However, the implementation of share services for both business units have been the cause of structural and
functional changes over the past years. Although data from two business units in the same family business could
limit the findings of this research, this attempt had an objective to test and present initial results from the
proposed framework. For further enhancements, additional data from other two large organizations will be
integrated to enrich the results presented in this paper.
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F
Figure 2. Mappping of integraation strategiess and tactics, annd IS/Business alignment diimensions
Source: Adappted from Petersonn (2004).
4.1 Case SStudy
CompX is headquarteredd in Mexico C
City and is a leaader in the Meexican snack fo
food market. C
CompX is part of an
internationnal business grroup in the seector of beveraages and foodd but in Mexicco CompX serrves as umbrellla to
commerciaalize internatioonal as well aas local snackk brands. Com
mpX is renow
wned for the qquality, variety
y and
flavors off its products.. Locally, Com
mpX controlss around 80%
% of the Mexiican snacks m
market and ho
old a
respectablee brand along their clients. D
Due to a recennt organizationnal restructurattion, some mannagement posiitions
at CompX
X share servicess with other buusiness unit, heereafter called CompZ. Com
mpZ is the largeest manufacturrer of
cookies annd market leadder in Mexicoo. CompZ holdds well-knownn brands and ooffers a wide variety of pastries,
oats, cereaals and cookiess. Both busineess units have bbeen facing seeveral IT changges in the last four years. On
ne of
the biggestt projects bothh business unitss are dealing w
with is the implementation off SAP in core bbusiness proce
esses.
This projeect has been a starting pooint to transfform an orgaanization tradiitionally functtional into a new
process-orriented organizzation. In addittion, several sttructural changges have been taking in placce over the past two
years as coonsequence off a strategy based on higher pproductivity annd cost-decreassing.
4.2 Data C
Collection
The methoods to collect data includedd questionnairees and semi-sttructured interrviews. Both ssources were taken
t
into accouunt to perform
m the analysis.. Although thee combinationn of research m
methods in innformation sysstems
research coould be uncom
mmon, a multi--method researrch design cann bring noticeaable advantagees (Gable, 1994
4). In
total, twennty face-to-facce semi- structuured interview
ws were conduucted with a leength of approximately one hour.
All interviiewed particippants were at managerial levvels and holdding executive,, senior, tacticcal and operattional
manageriaal positions (seee Table 2). Exxecutive positiions included those participaants that have strategic roless and
hold eitherr head or direcctor positions aat corporate leevel. Senior poositions involved strategic rooles that hold either
e
director orr head positioons at business unit level. T
Tactical managgers include pparticipants inn charge of tac
ctical
implementtations such ass intra-organizzational or inteer-organizationnal projects att business unitt level. Operattional
managers grouped manaagerial positioons closer to tthe execution of operationall activities or implementatio
on of
subsets of strategic projeects. In additioon, a balanced representationn between IT aand business rooles was consid
dered
(see Table 3).
Table 2. N
Number of sampples of data coollected
Organizationnal position
Data collection techniqque
Questionnnaire
Semii-structured intervviews
(IT projeect alignment matuurity)
Executive
5
Senior Manaager
5
Tactical Mannager
7
3
Operational M
Manager
3
3
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4.3 Methodd of Analysis
Nvivo 8.00 was the maiin tool used inn support of the overall quualitative research effort. E
Each interview was
recorded aand later transscribed. All trranscripts weree uploaded annd saved into Nvivo as conntent sources. Each
participantt was the unitt of analysis aand a case nodde per particippant was creatted. To map thhe content of each
transcript aagainst the connstructors of thhe proposed frramework, a noode was createed per each maanagement pra
actice
depicted inn Figure 1. These nodes werre also arranged into coding hhierarchies. Too do so, a tree node structure
e was
created to categorize proocess, structurre and relationnal capabilitiess as indicated by ITGAP. Thhe content ana
alysis
was perforrmed coding each
e
interview
w according thee defined nodees and identifyying relationshhips between them.
t
Questionnnaires were alsoo applied to m
managers in chaarge of deliverring high IT-deependant projects. To analyze
e this
data, an aadapted version of the strattegic alignmennt maturity moodel to assesss strategic IT projects was used
(Gutierrezz et al., 2008). Two strategic projects were assessed and six participantts involved in tthese projects were
asked to annswer the quesstionnaire.
Table 3. R
Role of intervieewed organizattional positionss
Organizationnal role
Number oof interviewed peoople
IT
5
Business
13
Both
2
The analyysis was focused on the idenntification of the relevance of each manaagement practtice along diffferent
making-deecision processses and its imppact in the IT/bbusiness value perceived. Thhe results from
m the questionn
naires
helped to corroborate thhe results from
m the intervieews and provided additionaal insights. W
When potential new
constructoors were identtified, free noodes were creeated. Howevver, these new
w nodes only helped to ou
utline
characterisstics, similaritties and differrences betweeen both businness units. It w
was also perfformed a chec
cking
process to ensure that possible missinng content wass not included in the final codification. Thhe identificatio
on of
relevant cooded nodes waas performed aassessing the nnumber of codding references and using quuery functiona
alities
in Nvivo. The queries were
w
defined aand executed ttaking into acccount the orgaanizational rolle and position
ns of
participantts. For instancce, content coodification from
m executive aand senior maanagers was rrelevant to ide
entify
strategic rrelational inteegration proceesses, strategic relational iintegration strructures and formal integrration
processes since these capabilities
c
inffluence the inntellectual or sstrategic dimeension of IS/bbusiness alignm
ment.
Similarly, content codification from taactical and opeerational managgers was relevvant to identifyy formal integrration
process, fo
formal integrattion structuress, tactical relattional integrattion process aand tactical rellational integrration
structures, as these capabbilities influennce the operatioonal dimensionn of IS/businesss alignment.
4.4 Analyssis and Discusssion
Formal caapabilities [strructural and pprocess] appear as core reeferences in oorder to improve organizational
integrationn. Particularlyy, the restructuuration or reddesign of form
mer organizatiional structurees is perceive
ed as
applicable attempts to acchieve higher oorganizationall integration. H
However, the im
mplementationn of new proce
esses,
their redesign or changges are perceeived as bureaaucratic activities that limiit organizationnal flexibility and
responsiveeness. Similarr results indiccate that orgaanizational strructures tend to implemennt easier relattional
capabilitiees in comparisoon to process ccapabilities (De Haes & Van Grembergen, 2009).
F
Figure
3. Form
mal integration process codifiication at strateegic level
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Figgure 4. Formal integration strructures codifiication at operaational level
Formal inttegration proceesses undertakke an angular pplace within ouur proposed fraamework. Threee formal processes,
IT investm
ment managem
ment, IT projectt prioritizationn and business planning, inflluence significcantly the desig
gn of
ITG architectures. Com
mmonly, these three processes are fundam
mental pieces along the straategic IS planning.
Strategic IIS planning recconciles bottom
m-up and top-ddown approaches during thee strategy form
mulation (Benbya &
McKelveyy, 2006) and innfluences the oorganization att strategic, tactical and operational levels as long as uniiform
and consistent decisionns towards IT
T projects andd investments are made (P
Peak, Guynes, & Kroon, 2005).
However, literature in IS/business
I
aliignment has raarely shown sstudies that inntegrate strateggic and operattional
dimensionns (Gutierrez, Orozco,
O
& Seerrano, 2009). Conversely, bbusiness and IS
S planning proocess consists of a
multilevel scope that inccludes the impplementation of both operativve and strategiic managemennt practices in order
o
to be effective (Grant, Hackney, & E
Edgar, 2009). The businesss planning proocess was idenntified relevan
nt for
strategic leevel positions whereas the IT investmentt management process for sstrategic, tacticcal and operattional
positions ((see Figure 3)). At operatioonal level, the IT project prrioritization prrocess was allso diagnosed with
pertinent aattention.
r
IS/Buusiness alignmeent managemeent practices foor the design of ITG architectures
Figure 5. IIntegration of relevant
der to
Luftman ((2000) does noot suggest anyy relationship between attribbutes since alll are equally rrelevant in ord
assess IS/bbusiness alignnment. Howevver, some attrributes can bee consequencees or antecedeents of others. For
instance, bboth business planning
p
and IIT project priooritization proccesses can be ccategorized ass sub-process in the
stages of tthe IT investm
ment managem
ment process. In the proposed frameworkk we address tthese relationsships.
Both businness planning and IT projecct prioritizationn process havee been depicteed as relationshhips since they
y can
be precediing sub-process of IT investment managgement. For innstance, a forrmal IT investtment management
process caan be structureed in five keyy stages (idea generation, business case ggeneration, invvestment selec
ction,
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project implementation and achieving benefit) (Sherer, 2007). All results discussed in this section are presented
and mapped in the proposed framework in Figure 5.
5. Discussions and Conclusions
The results from this research indicate that at operational and tactical levels, improving the coordination of the IT
investment management process and enabling structures that strengthen the connection of budgetary controls
will impact the integration of additional formal capabilities and consequently moderate positively the process of
IS/business alignment and enable mechanisms to design effective ITG architectures (see Figure 4). For example,
between strategic and operational levels, promoting program management practices would influence
collaboration towards a unified understanding of IT and business knowledge. From a practitioner’s point of view,
these results suggest that management should concentrate and put special emphasis in control mechanisms to
support and monitor the IT investment management process and consolidate it by means of improved structural
costing schemas. Specially, there is a need to permeate balanced practices between stakeholders. In our case
study, several issues related to IT investments were caused by the lack of standardize procedures since the
diversity of informal practices were caused of conflicts and misalignment. At strategic level, positions found that
the business understanding of IT affects their strategic relational and process integration capabilities. Conversely,
operational positions evidenced that the IT understanding of business influences their tactical relational, process
and structure capabilities.
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